It Started With a Letter
by ladypatpatriot
Summary: Elizabeth has great news for Jack, only he is away on Mountie business.
1. Chapter 1

Elizabeth walked in to her house and closed the door behind her. She leaned back against it and smiled, as she thought about what was making her happy. She had just come from the doctor's where she leaned she was pregnant. She couldn't wait to tell Jack, but unfortunately she would have to. He had left about six weeks ago for a three month assignment in the North. Luckily it was in a bigger town that had telegraph service and a post office. As much as she wanted to wait until he returned so she could see the look on his face when she told him, she knew she couldn't wait that long. There was a good chance she would be showing by the time he returned. She was afraid the look on his face would be that of disappointment that she hadn't written him of her news instead of joy she was almost certain she would see.

She removed her coat and walked to their home office. She went to her desk and sat down, where she pulled out some paper and a pen. She started to think about what she wanted to say.

 _ **My darling Jack,**_

 _ **I hope things are going well for you on your assignment. I miss you terribly and can't wait for your return. I have some news for you that I didn't want to wait to tell you about. I wish with all my heart I could tell you this in person but with circumstances we have been dealt, I feel I have to tell you in this letter. Don't worry, it's nothing bad. Jack, My Love, I am pregnant! We are having a baby! I am about six weeks along. I think we conceived on one of our last night's together. I can't wait for you to come home so we can celebrate. I hope the next six weeks goes by quickly so I can be in your arms again.**_

 _ **We love you, Daddy!**_

 _ **Elizabeth and Baby Thornton**_

Elizabeth looked at the clock on her desk and noted it was still early. She didn't feel like cooking dinner so she decided she would head back into town to mail her letter and then have dinner at the café. She would also tell Abigail her news, as she had a feeling Abigail had already guessed what was making her not feel well. Nothing went past Abigail Stanton. She grabbed her coat and bag and began the walk back to town.

About a week later, Jack had stopped by the post office to hang up some wanted posters. He waved to the postman, Mr. Gagnon, then started to walk to the board, but Mr. Gagnon called him over.

"I have a letter for you. It's from Hope Valley."

Jack took the letter and noticed it was from Elizabeth. He instantly became alarmed; they had agreed to only send letters once a month and he had already received one from her a couple of weeks ago. He decided to take the letter back to his room and come back at another time to hang the posters. "Thank you, Mr. Gagnon. I will be back later to hang the signs."

"Don't worry about it, Constable Thornton. I will take care of them for you."

"Thank you again. Have a good rest of your day."

Jack hurried back to his room. Once he shut the door, he removed his hat and sat down on bed, saying a quick prayer that nothing was wrong. He opened the letter and read it, a feeling of shock growing in him. He read it again, this time a wide smile growing on his face as he realized what he read was true. He was going to be a father! He still couldn't believe it so he read the letter a third time. He felt tears of joy come to his eyes, then felt a little sadness that he wasn't with Elizabeth right now. He longed to pull her in his arms and show her how happy he was about the baby. Unfortunately, he was needed to stay for at least three to four more weeks. He was training a new Mountie to take over the duties of the town. Jack decided he would write a letter back to Elizabeth and pray he could come up with the words that would convey the joy he was feeling.

Two weeks had passed since Elizabeth found out about the baby. She was having a little trouble with morning sickness. She was having a difficult time keeping food down. She went to see Dr. Matthews right away because she was concerned about not being able to eat. He gave her some suggestions on how to try to settle her stomach. He said eating crackers and dry toast first thing in the morning should settle things down enough for her to be able to eat a more substantial breakfast later on. He also said that she could try getting up a little earlier and take her time getting up. He said to keep the crackers in the bedroom and to sit up in bed and eat those first. His last idea for her was to take a few days off from teaching but still get up at the new time she would trying so she could get used to a new routine. Elizabeth thought all the advice made sense. She saw Florence when she left the doctor's and she asked her to take over for her for a few days. She only told Florence that she had the stomach flu.

After speaking with Florence she went into the mercantile to get some crackers, bread and some mint tea to bring home with her. When she went up to the counter to pay for her items, Mr. Yost gave her a letter. If was from Jack! She walked home as fast as she could without making herself sick. She couldn't wait to read what his response was from her news. Once in the house she made herself some tea and toast, then sat down on the sofa to read the letter.

 _ **My Sweet Elizabeth,**_

 _ **I love you and I miss you so much. I was surprised to get your letter since we had said we were only going to write once a month but once I read it, I was so happy you sent it. I had to read it three times before your news sank in. My heart is overflowing with love and joy right now. A baby! I can't believe we are having a baby. I wish I was back in Hope Valley so that you could have told me in person but as you said, circumstances what they are, it was better that you sent the letter. I am longing to be home with you I can pulled you in my arms and show you just how overjoyed I am. I will be counting the days until I can see you again.**_

 _ **Sweetheart, I want you to start writing me once a week. I want to know how you are doing. I don't even mind if all you tell me about is morning sickness. I want to be able to share this with as best we can while I am away. Write me back soon. I will be anxiously waiting to hear from you.**_

 _ **I love you and Baby Thornton!**_

 _ **Jack.**_

Elizabeth wiped tears from her eyes as she sat back against the sofa. She was so glad he was happy but she missed him more than ever now. She desperately wanted to be in his arms. Even though she hated having anyone with her when she was vomiting, she knew Jack would refuse to leave her side and would hold her hair back. She wished he was home to help her. On the other hand, she wasn't sure she should tell him about her morning sickness troubles. She was afraid he would feel guilty for not being home with her and she didn't want that. She thought about it for several minutes. If she waited to tell him when he returned, he would be upset that she didn't tell him. It was a difficult decisions but she decided she had to tell him the truth in her next letter.

Jack eagerly checked the post office every day hoping for word from Elizabeth. Each day, he would leave disappointed. As he made his way to the post office early the afternoon a little over three weeks since he had found out about the baby, he began to wonder if something was wrong with her. It wasn't like her not to write after he asked her to. If he didn't receive a letter today, he was going to pack and go home. The new Mountie was as trained as he could be. Jack was only hanging around to help out on his first few day. The young Mountie had said Jack didn't need to stay; even if Jack did get a letter, he was seriously thinking about packing and leaving. He neared the post office and entered the building.

"Constable Thornton, your letter arrived!" Mr. Gagnon told him, a grin on his face. He knew Jack was anxiously waiting for word from his wife. He wasn't sure why but he was happy to finally be able to deliver the letter to Jack.

Jack smiled and quickly walked to the counter. "Thank you, Mr. Gagnon. I know I have been a pest coming in here every day. Thank you for putting up with me."

"No need to apologize. I remember being called away on business once when my young bride and I had only been married about six months. We missed each other something fierce. I hope that letter brings good news for you."

"Thanks again." Jack quickly walked out but turned back one last time to wave at Mr. Gagnon. He walked back to his room to read the letter.

 _ **My Darling Jack,**_

 _ **I am glad that you are as happy and excited as I am about the baby. I knew you would be. I must confess that I am apprehensive about telling you something about the pregnancy. I am afraid you are going to feel guilty for not being with me but I want you to know that you shouldn't. I am doing better now. In fact I waited a few days to write this letter to you just so I could have good news to report. I was having trouble with the morning sickness. When I went two days without being able to keep down food or water, I went to see Dr. Matthews. He was glad I saw him that quickly because what was happening to me could turn into something serious if I let it go too long. He said that sometimes pregnant women can get an excessive form of morning sickness. It can cause them to dramatically lose weight and become dehydrated, which not only can cause harm to the mother but also the baby. It's better to treat it sooner rather than later. He gave me some suggestions to help ease the nausea and I am very happy to say they are working! Basically what I am doing is waking up a little earlier than I was and eat some crackers or dry toast first thing. I have also been drinking mint tea which Abigail said is good for the nausea. Dr. Matthews also suggested I take a few days off from work so I could get my body used to this new schedule. I am planning to return on Monday. By the time you come home, the morning sickness should just be an unpleasant, distant memory.**_

 _ **Now, I know you must be feeling worried and I know I can't say anything to stop you, but I am doing much better. The only thing that is bothering me is I miss you terribly and I know you miss me just as much. I, too am counting the days until you return.**_

 _ **We love you so much, Jack (Daddy)**_

 _ **Elizabeth and Baby Thornton.**_

Jack stood up and started pacing the room. He had tears in his eyes and he quickly wiped them away. He was glad Elizabeth was feeling better but she was right about one thing. He did feel guilty. He should have been with her to help her with the nausea. He made up his mind then that it was time to head back to Hope Valley and his sweet Elizabeth.

A week had passed since Elizabeth had expected a letter from Jack. She was hoping the silence meant he was on his way home to her. She couldn't wait to see him. She was feeling like herself again, except that her clothes were getting tight. She happily took some of her dresses into Clara to have them let out. Once she had received the letter from Jack letting her know he knew about the baby, she started to tell people in town her happy news. A lot of the women, like Cat and Molly had suspected she was pregnant, just like Abigail had. Everyone was happy for her. All she wanted now was for Jack to return so they could finally celebrate the coming addition to their happy family. As she lounged in bed early on a Saturday morning, she day dreamed about her reunion with Jack.

Jack breathed a sigh of relief when he finally made it back to Hope Valley. He had been delayed on his trip home by rain. He had to check into a hotel, where he spent two days staring out the window, depressed that he wouldn't be getting home as soon as he wanted. He smiled then, as he realized he was only moments away from seeing his love, his Elizabeth. It had been driving him crazy wondering how she was doing. He continued his way to their home, his heart beating faster in anticipation.

Elizabeth was in the kitchen making herself some oatmeal for breakfast when she thought she heard the door open. Her heart started to beat faster. Could Jack be home? She stated to walk out of the kitchen when she heard his beautiful voice calling her name. She ran out to great him.

"Jack!" She cried as she ran towards his opened arms. "Oh, Jack! I am so glad you're home!" She leaned her head up to kiss him.

As they parted, Jack hugged her tightly, breathing in the scent of her hair, relishing the moment. He pulled back and grabbed her hand. "Let's go sit on the couch. I want to hold you in my arms and talk about how you are doing." He pulled her towards the living room. She was in his arms within seconds of sitting down. "Are you feeling better, Sweetheart?"

She lifted her head slightly to look at him. She smiled. "I am feeling much better. I still get a little sick to my stomach when I first wake up, but the crackers take care of that and within a half hour I am eating breakfast."

"That's wonderful! I am so relieved you are feeling better. Did you return to school when you planned?"

"Yes I did. The only problem I am having with work is I am exhausted at the end of the day but don't worry. That's normal in the early months. I usually just take a nap when I get home."

Jack kissed the top of her head and pulled her closer into his body. He was so happy to be home with Elizabeth and that she was feeling better. She looked beautiful; she was practically flowing. "It feels so good to have you in my arms again, Sweetheart. I missed you so much, especially after finding out about the baby."

"I feel the same way, Jack and believe me, I hate what I am about to do, but when you came home I was in the kitchen about to make some breakfast for myself. I need to eat now so I don't get sick." She started to get up, but Jack stopped her.

"You sit here and rest. I will make your breakfast. I plan on pampering you the rest of the weekend since I haven't been here to do so before this. What would you like?"

Elizabeth smiled. She just knew that he would want to do that. "I was going to make oatmeal and have some fruit with it. It's what I have been eating the last few days."

"Ok, I will bring it out here to you when it's ready. Then we can spend the rest of the day together."

"That sounds heavenly, Jack. Maybe we can take a bath together later."

"I'd like that." He leaned down to kiss her, then headed to the kitchen. As he made her breakfast he thought about how happy he was to be home and how thankful he was that she was feel well again. He couldn't wait for their baby to arrive.

 _I am having some writers block again with my other stories. I am stumped with how to proceed with the Valentine's Day mini-vacation in The Detective and the Nurse. I am thinking I may jump ahead to the wedding. I have been re-reading my other stories to see if I can get an idea for one of them. I have been toying with an idea for a short fan fic about another Thornton baby, which ended up being this story. I plan on the next chapter being a little further into the pregnancy. I hope you enjoy it and if you have any ideas about my other stories, feel free to tell me. I can't tell you how much I appreciate the comments you leave. Barb R._


	2. Chapter 2

Jack returned to the small cabin he was staying in while on yet another assignment for the Mounties, with a letter from Elizabeth in his pocket. The Mountie in the town he was sent to had injured his ankle while chasing a criminal. He needed about four to six weeks to recover, so Headquarters had sent Jack. He had wanted to refuse; it had only been about three weeks since he returned home to Elizabeth after finding out about the baby. He didn't want to leave her for the remainder of the pregnancy. When he told Elizabeth he was going to turn down the assignment, she had told him no, to take it. She said as much as she would miss him, it was better he take the job now and then work something out with the Mounties for when she was due to have the baby. Logically, Jack knew she was right. He would quit the Mounties if they tried to send him away when she was having the baby. Still, he felt guilty that he had to leave so soon after the last assignment and he was sad to know he would miss a lot of the pregnancy, including feeling the baby move for the first time. He wanted to share that with Elizabeth. She was sad he would miss it too but she assured him it would still be a wonderful feeling when he returned to her.

Jack pulled the letter out, removed his serge and sat down on the bed to read her letter. He insisted that she regularly write to him so he could know how things were going for her back in Hope Valley. He stared at the envelope for several minutes, just gazing at her handwriting and feeling tears of loneliness come to his eyes. He wiped them away, then tore open the letter and began to read.

 _ **My Darling Jack,**_

 _ **I love you and I miss you. Baby Thornton says "Hello, Daddy!" I am writing this letter at 2 in the morning because I woke up when I felt a kick to my ribs! A couple of days after you left I started feeling little fluttering in my belly and I thought that was the baby's first movements. Abigail confirmed that for me. Tonight was the first time I felt an actual kick. I am so excited right now but I am sad at the same time. If feels wonderful knowing the baby is progressing along and getting more active but I wish you were here with me to feel it too. Abigail mentioned to me that you wouldn't be able to feel the baby yet but I still want to share this moment with you. I only hope I don't make you too sad that you aren't here to experience it with me.**_

 _ **I had my checkup yesterday. Dr. Matthews is pleased with my (our) progress. He says I am on track for a healthy delivery. I am happy he said that, but Jack, I have to admit the thought of the painful contractions scare me. I am not sure I can handle the pain. Abigail says I will be fine and she will be in the room with me and that makes me feel a little better but I wish you could be there with me. I know it's not conventional and that maybe seeing me in pain might be hard for you, but I still wish you could be with me. I do understand if you don't want to. Please don't feel pressured to be with me if it's really what you don't want to be.**_

 _ **Enough of the fear talk. I have months yet before I have to think about that. What we also have months for but I am thinking about is names for our baby. I have been thinking about using family names. For a girl, I was thinking using my grandmother's names. I don't think I ever mentioned them to you before because they have both gone to a better place, but my paternal grandmother was named Erin and my maternal grandmother was named Charlotte. I like how Erin Charlotte Thornton sounds. Say it out loud to yourself before you decide. If you don't like it we can come up with something else. I am having trouble find a boy's name I like. I would love to name a son after you but I am not sure how you feel about it. If we pick Erin Charlotte then I think a boy's name should come from your family but I only know your father's name. Please write back to me with any suggestions. There is one boy's name we both agree on that we don't want.**_

 _ **The baby has finally settled down enough for to go back to bed. I am so tired but thankfully tomorrow (or is it today?) is Saturday. I am going try and sleep late and just relax around the house. Abigail is teaching me to knit and I have already made a pair of booties and a hat that came out almost perfect. I am going to attempt a blanket next. Wish me luck!**_

 _ **I love you and can't wait for your return!**_

 _ **Your Sweet Elizabeth**_

Jack folded the letter and put it back in the envelope. He laid down on the bed and felt the tears return. He hated that he was missing out on so many things with the pregnancy. It took all his strength not to pack up everything he had and return home the next morning. He had to wait it out. Fortunately the angle injury was healing faster that the doctor's thought and it appeared the other Mountie might be able to return next week. Jack would wait until then and see where to go from there.

Jack sat up in bed and wiped the tears away. He wasn't going to let himself be unhappy about his situation anymore. He was so blessed. He had a smart, caring and beautiful wife who was about the give him the most precious gift in the world: a baby. His heart started to feel joy over Elizabeth being able to feel the baby kicking. He remembered what she said about him not being able to feel the baby yet. Maybe by the time he got home he would be able to. He sat down at the small table and pulled out the letter again. He wanted to answer her back and he needed to think about some of the other things she said, especially about the names.

Elizabeth walked into town after school about two weeks after she had felt the baby move. She was once again thankful it was Friday. She was exhausted by the end of the week. Part of it was not sleeping as well with Jack now home but she knew part of it was also the pregnancy. If she was this tired now, in the middle of her second trimester she could only imagine how it would be later on. For the time being she tried to get as much rest as possible, sometimes napping when she got home from school and always taking it easy on Saturdays.

She made her wait to the mercantile to get a few groceries for the weekend. "Good afternoon, Mr. Yost" she said as she entered the store.

"Good afternoon, Mrs. Thornton. I have a letter for you."

Elizabeth rushed to the counter and picked it up. It was from Jack. "Thank you, Mr. Yost." She slipped it into her basket. "I am here to pick up a few groceries." She gave him her list and waited while he filled her order. On her way home, she stopped off to see Abigail for a moment. Abigail packed up dinner for her friend, pot roast, mashed potatoes, green beans and her famous biscuits. Elizabeth had been craving them lately along with Abigail's chocolate cake, which was also included with the dinner. Elizabeth gave Abigail a big hug, thanking her for packing up the meal, then made her way home. After she put away her food and changed into her nightgown for the evening, she made her way to the couch and slipped under the blanket she kept there. She opened the letter.

 _ **Sweetheart,**_

 _ **I love and miss you and Baby Thornton so much! When I first read your letter, I did feel sad that I wasn't there with you when you felt the kicking in your ribs (I hope it didn't hurt. If it did, I am going to have to talk to our little one when I get home). After I thought about it for a while (and felt sorry for myself) I decided I was being a little foolish. I remembered what you said about me not being able to feel it yet and I felt my heart fill with joy. Like you said, feeling the kick made you realize that things are progressing as they should be. I am glad your checkup went well too.**_

 _ **About what you said about having me stay with you while you have the baby. I have had a lot of time to think at night and I came to the conclusion before you even mentioned it that I want to be with you. I want to hold your hand and help you through the contractions, rub your back if you need it. You can squeeze my hand as hard as you want if it will help you through the pain. I do admit that seeing you in pain does frighten me but I know that you feel the same and we can help each other through it. We just have to remember that at the end of all that pain we will be holding our precious child, a child made from the love we share for each other.**_

 _ **I love the name Erin Charlotte for a little girl. Your parents and my mother will be thrilled. I have been having this dream recently where I am coming home from work one day and I see a beautiful little girl playing in our front yard. She turns to me and starts running towards me. I pick her up and look into her face, seeing your gorgeous blue eyes starting back at me. She also has your long, dark curly but when she smiles, her mouth is all mine, including the dimples. She kisses me on the check, then rests her head on my shoulder and says "I love you, Daddy! My heart just melts.**_

 _ **As for a name for a boy, I only knew my paternal grandfather. His name was Daniel Thomas Thornton. I would rather name our son that than after me. I think two Jack's in the house might be distracting. However, if you don't like Daniel Thomas, we can have a discussion about boy's names when I return, which I hope is soon.**_

 _ **I can't begin to find the words to tell you how much I miss you and love you. I can't wait until I hold you in my arms and I can feel our baby kick.**_

 _ **Yours forever,**_

 _ **Jack**_

Elizabeth grasped the letter against her chest, leaned back and smiled. She felt happy tears fall down her cheeks and she reached up to wipe them away. Jack may think he is not good with words but she fell in love with how he described the dream to her. She always knew he would make a wonderful father; the dreamed proved he must be thinking it too. She was glad he wanted to be with her while she was in labor; a huge weight felted lifted off her shoulders. She was still nervous about the pain but like Jack said, the end result of it would be well worth it. She felt the baby kick just at that moment. She smiled as she laid a hand on her ever growing belly. One thing for sure, Jack would be surprised at how much bigger she had gotten, but the weight gain was also worth it.

"Well, Little One. Are you a girl or a boy? Kick once for a girl and twice for a boy." She waited a moment to feel kicking but she felt nothing. "Well, both your daddy and I think you are Erin but if you are Daniel, we will be just as happy. Erin or Daniel, you will be just as loved, just as wanted and just as blessed to be part of our little family." She got up from the sofa. "Ok, little one! Time for dinner."

After she finished eating the delicious pot roast and indulging in two biscuits, Elizabeth went back to the living, where she added some more wood to the fire. She returned to the couch and settled in to read for a while. She decided to write Jack another letter in the morning. Within a half an hour, Elizabeth had fallen asleep.

It was nearing nine pm when Jack arrived back in Hope Valley. The Mountie he had taken over for had recovered faster than they thought and Jack had been on the road back to Elizabeth for a week. When it was getting dark, he knew he should stop for the night but he was so close to Hope Valley that he couldn't wait any longer to see Elizabeth. He urged his horse to move faster and before he knew it, his home came into few. The lights where still on in the living room. Jack felt his heart skip a beat as he realized Elizabeth was still up. He quickly brought his horse to the barn and took care of him for the night, then grabbed his bag and ran to the house.

He set his bag down in the entry way and went to the living room to surprise Elizabeth. When he walked in, he saw she was fast asleep on the sofa, a book in her lap. He watched her for several minutes, just taking in her beauty. She must have sensed she was being watched because she started to stir. He rushed over to the sofa and kneeled down next to it, taking her hand in his and bringing it to his lips just as she opened her eyes.

"Jack?" She whispered, sleepily. "Is that really you?" She pushed herself up on the sofa and reached out to touch his face.

He leaned over to kiss her. When they parted, he replied, "Yes, it's me."

She attempted to move over on the sofa so he could join her. She wasn't making enough room for him. "Jack, I want you to hold me in your arms but I have gotten so big since you have been gone that there is no room for you here. Can we go to the bedroom?"

"Of course." He stood up and held out his hand to help her up. Once she was standing, he let his eyes travel up and down her body. Yes, her belly was bigger but she was still beautiful. She was glowing and blossoming with new life. He put his arm around her and leaned towards her ear. "You look gorgeous, Sweetheart. Breathtaking."

She smiled at him. "Thank you, My Love." They started walking down the hall towards their room when she felt the baby kick. She stopped moving. "Jack, give me your hand!" She exclaimed.

Jack gladly gave her his hand, knowing she must have felt the baby move. Sure enough as soon as his hand rested on her belly, he felt a nice, strong kick. He grinned and felt joyous tears form in his eyes. "Sweetheart, that's amazing! Does it hurt?"

She laughed, remembering what he had said in his letter. "No, Jack. It doesn't hurt. The kicking does keep me awake from time to time and it feels uncomfortable when the baby kicks my bladder but other than that, I love the feeling."

Jack kissed her forehead then started walking them down to the bedroom. "Let me help you into bed, then I am going to get changed and join you."

"OK, I just need to use the washroom first."

Jack waited until she was done, then got her settled in bed. He quickly put on his night clothes and crawled into bed with her. He put his arm around her belly, hoping for some more kicking. He was rewarded within a minute. He grinned again; he felt like he was bonding with their child for the first time. "Sweetheart, I have some good news for you."

Elizabeth turned over slightly to look at his face. "What is it, Jack?"

"Before I left, I got a letter from Headquarters. They have someone new in charge of the assignments out here. He has a wife and three children. He remembers what it was like for him when his wife was expecting. He was in a region like my parents where were Mounties couldn't pick their assignments, like I could, with only occasionally assignments out of town. He wrote to me to thank me for being willing to take these last two jobs so close together when you are pregnant. He then said that they will not be giving me any out of town assignments until after the baby comes and they gave me time off to be with you when you do give birth."

Elizabeth's face lit up. "Oh, Jack! That's wonderful news. I am so happy!"

"So am I. Now I can be here for you the rest of the way, experience things with you. I would like to go to the doctor with you."

"That would be great! When I was there last time, Dr. Matthews let me listen to the baby's heartbeat. It was the most joyous sound! I remember wishing you could hear it too. I have an appointment next week and I am sure he would let you listen too."

"I'd like that very much." The baby kicked again and they both laughed. "I guess that makes it unanimous!" Jack leaned down to kiss Elizabeth. "I am so glad I am home"

"Me too." She replied. "I am glad you liked Erin Charlotte for a girl's name and I love Daniel Thomas for a boy."

"Great!" He snuggled closer to her, relishing having her back in his arms. "How have you been doing since I got your last letter?"

"For the most part I feel fine. I still get a little nausea every now and then but it's normal. What bothers me the most and I am told it gets worse as the pregnancy goes on is how tired I get. You saw tonight. I was asleep before 9pm. I finished dinner at 7pm and went back to the sofa to read. I think I was reading for may twenty minutes or so but I don't remember anything after that until you came home."

"Well, I am sure some of your exhaustion is from having to do a lot of things around the house with me not being here. Now that I am home, I will help you out more. Take over some of the cooking and cleaning so you can rest. In fact, I am going to make you breakfast in bed tomorrow morning and I will take care of anything else you need done tomorrow."

"Thank you, Jack. That's so sweet. Usually by Fridays I am so exhausted that I just rest on Friday nights and all day Saturday. It will help a lot of I don't have to cook tomorrow morning."

"Actually, since you need rest on Saturdays, I will cook all the meals tomorrow. You deserve some pampering again." He began running his fingers through her soft hair. "Do you have any special requests for breakfast tomorrow?"

"I would love some pancakes, if that's not too much trouble."

"For you, Sweetheart, it's no trouble at all." He kissed her again, then noticed her yawning. "We should get some sleep. I am very tired myself. Sleep well and if you need anything in the middle of the night, wake me up and I will take care of it."

"All right, Jack. We love you!" She took his hand and brought it down to her belly.

Jack felt the baby kick and smiled again. "I love you both!" He let his hand rest on her belly and he felt her hand rest on top of his. Soon they were both asleep.

 _Many of you who regularly read my stories may notice I am using the same names in the story as I am for The Wedding Bouquet. I love the names Erin and Daniel so much I wanted to use them in this story._

.


	3. Chapter 3

On a warm August day, about six weeks before the baby was due, Elizabeth was sitting at the water's edge of the pond on their property. She was dangling her feet in the water, hoping the coolness would help bring down the swelling of her feet. She had brought a book out with her, but it was sitting next to her on a blanket while she started off into space, thinking about her life with Jack and what the future would bring with the birth of their child in a few short weeks. She couldn't wait to hold their baby in her arms. Both she and Jack still had the feeling that she having a girl but would love Baby Daniel just as much. Boy or girl, this baby was the product of their love and would always feel loved, wanted and secure.

Elizabeth was so lost in thought that she didn't noticed the change in the weather. Clouds were moving in and the wind had picked up, cooling the air just a bit. Suddenly, there was a loud crack of thunder, startling Elizabeth out of her thoughts. Almost immediately, it started to pour. As quickly as she could, which wasn't that fast given her baby belly, she got up and started to hurry to the house. Just before she reached the steps, her foot slipped in a growing mud puddle and she fell to the ground, her back hitting a rock. She tried to get up, her back paining her. As she made it to her knees and then went to stand on her foot, it gave out under her as she cried out in pain. She landed back in the mud puddle in agony. She tried again to get up, knowing how important it was to get in the house, out of the rain and to tend to her foot and back, however, her foot kept giving out on her and the pain in her back was increasing. _Great! What am I going to do? Jack won't be home for another couple hours. I can't stay out here. I can't risk getting sick. What if I harmed the baby during the fall? I need to see the doctor._ She decided to start calling for help, in the off chance someone, anyone might by going down the road near the house. She prayed someone would hear her over the sounds of the storm. She wanted to get inside as fast as she could because she hated thunderstorms, after almost being struck by lightning as a child.

Jack was filling out a report when he heard a loud rumble of thunder. He got up to look outside and as he got to the window, the rain started pounding on the roof of the jail. He glanced over at the clock and noticed he still had a couple of hours left to go on his shift. He wanted to go home, knowing how much thunderstorms frightened his wife, after what had happened to her when she was a little girl. As his mind wandered, he felt shivers going up and down his spine. He got this uneasy feeling that something was wrong with Elizabeth. He quickly grabbed his hat and left the jail, jumping on his horse and headed for home. The rain was making huge puddles everywhere so Jack had to make sure the horse was traveling slowly. He prayed Elizabeth was ok and curled up in the house somewhere nice and dry.

Elizabeth started to lose track of time. She had given up on yelling for help. Her throat was so sore and there was no way anyone could hear her over the pouring rain. Every so often she would try to get up again but would always fail. Now, she was beginning to feel stomach pains every so often and she was getting so tired. She tried to keep herself awake, knowing things could get bad if she lost consciousness. She began whispering prayers that she would quickly be found and that everything would be fine with the baby. She prayed that maybe she had just pulled a muscle in her abdomen during the fall or her subsequent attempts to get up. It was too soon for her to be in labor. The baby may not survive if she delivered today. She felt tears rolling down her cheeks as she continued to pray. Suddenly, she heard a different sound over the rain; it sounded like hooves. She tried to lift her head to see if someone was coming but she couldn't. She prayed whoever it was would find her and get her the help she needed.

As Jack approached their home, he spotted something lying on the ground in front of the steps. As he got closer, he realized it was Elizabeth. Fear shot through him as he pulled his horse to a stop and jumped off. "Elizabeth!" He yelled as he ran towards her. He fell to the ground and tried to pick her up but she yelped in pain. "What happened, Sweetheart? Don't answer that yet. Let me try and get you inside and out of this rain."

"Thank you, Jack." She whispered. She felt him gently put his arms around her and bit her lip to keep from crying out again. She knew it was important for him to help her get out of the rain but if he thought he was hurting her too much, he wouldn't know how to help her. He stood up with her in his arms and walked up the steps to the house, opened the door and walked in. He brought her to the bathroom and set her down gently on a little seat that was in front of her mirror. He grabbed a towel and started to dry her off and wipe away the mud. She closed her eyes, happy that Jack had come home and was taking care of her. Just then, she felt another cramp in her abdomen and she moaned, startling Jack.

"Sweetheart? What is it? You are scaring me!" He said as he saw the pain on her face.

The cramp passed quickly and she let out a sigh of relief. "Jack, would you help me get out of these wet clothes and into bed? I will tell you what happened as you help me."

"Of course! I would do anything for you." He took her hand and helped her stand up. She cried out again and grabbed onto his shoulder to steady herself as she felt her foot give way again. "Elizabeth? What is it? Please tell me what's wrong!"

"Jack, would you carry me to the bedroom? I can't walk on my left foot." He nodded then gently picked her up, remember that she had been in pain when he lifted her before. He set her down on the bed and quickly grabbed a nightgown for her. He then put her hand on his shoulder while he helped her stand. He removed her wet clothes then put on her nightgown. Pulling back the covers he helped her into bed, standing her pillow up against the headboard so she could sit up. Then he took her hand in his. "Tell me what happened out there."

"Well, it was so hot this afternoon and I couldn't take being in the house any longer. My feet were so swollen so I decided to go sit down at the pond and soak them. I had brought a blanket and a book, but I ended up just sitting there and thinking. I didn't know the clouds had come in until I heard that first rumble of thunder. It scared me." She shifted a little and winced as she felt a pain shoot across her back. Jack noticed and looked at her with worried eyes but didn't say anything. He waited for her to continue. "I got up as quickly as I could which isn't that fast with this belly. I tried to hurry to the house but as I got close, my foot slipped in a mud puddle and I fell." She felt a tear run down her check as she remembered the pain she felt.

Jack gasped and squeezed her hand more tightly; he was feeling more and more frightened. "What did you do?"

"When I landed on the ground I think my back hit a rock. I felt pain there almost immediately. I was stunned for a few minutes then I decided I needed to get in the house so I could drive off. I tried to stand up but my left foot gave out on me. I must have twisted it or something when I stepped in the mud. I kept trying to get up but it just hurt more and more. I began yelling for someone to help me, knowing it would be a few hours before your return and that I couldn't stay out there that long. No one heard me. The rain and thunder were too loud. I gave up yelling and just laid there, praying that everything would be ok with the baby. By that point I was feeling abdominal pains every so often. I am hoping they are just pulled muscles from my fall, but Jack, I need you to go get the doctor. He needs to look at my foot and back and make sure everything is fine with the baby."

"I was already planning on getting the doctor. I would have already gone but I wanted to hear the story so I could relay it to him. Do you need anything before I leave? Perhaps a pillow for under your foot?"

"Yes, that would be great. It should be elevated."

He quickly got her foot settled under the pillow, then kissed her goodbye before running out the door to get his horse and go into down. Fortunately the rain was stopping and he could have the horse run faster. His mind was a jumble of thoughts. He had never felt so scare before. When she mentioned having abdominal pains fear shot through his heart. They were so close to having the baby, yet it was too soon for the baby to arrive. He couldn't imagine how it would feel if she lost the baby now. He felt tears form in his eyes. Since he felt the baby move for the first time, he spent time talking to the baby while he rested his hand on Elizabeth's belly, just waiting for the kicking to begin. He felt as connected to the baby as he could be until the baby arrived. He prayed that both Elizabeth and the baby would be fine and that her foot and back were her only injuries. He decided he would ask Bill to take over for him so he could care for Elizabeth. She would most likely be off her feet for a while and would need assistance in the house.

He arrived in town and he was a bit of a distance from the café when he thought he saw Dr. Matthews go inside. Jack decided to stop and check. Abigail would want to know what had happened so even if Dr. Matthews wasn't there he could fill Abigail in. He breathed a sigh of relief when sure enough, the doctor was inside the café. He quickly walked over to the table. "Dr. Matthews, I am sorry to disturb your meal but Elizabeth had an accident at the house. We need you to come out and see her."

"Of course, Jack. Mrs. Stanton just went to get me a drink and will be back in a minute. Do you want to sit for a minute while we wait and tell me what happened?"

"That's fine. I wanted to tell her anyway. Elizabeth had been outside when the storm started. When she started to walk back to the house, her foot slipped in a mud puddle and she fell. She said she hit her back against a rock when she landed on the ground. She tried to get up but something was wrong with her foot and she fell back to the ground. She was there for a quite a while before I came home. By the time I did, she said she was beginning to feel occasional abdominal pains."

Abigail had walked up to the table just at that moment. "Jack? What happened? Is she in labor?"

Jack stood up and put his hand on her should. "I don't think so but she had a fall trying to get back to the house when the storm started. She hurt her foot and back. I came into town to get Dr. Matthews."

"I will pray that everything is fine with Elizabeth. I will come by the house tomorrow to see how she is doing."

"She would appreciate that." Jack said as he walked to the door with Dr. Matthews. He waited at the café while the doctor got his bag and got in his buggy for the ride to the Thornton house.

Elizabeth laid in bed resting while she waited for Jack to return. She hadn't felt an abdominal pain in a while, which was a relief. She was really hoping that the pains were just a result of her fall. She wanted to write in her journal while she waited but when she reached over to the nightstand to get it, her back screamed in pain. She laid her head back on the head board and continued to pray for the baby. She was so relieved when she heard the front door open.

Jack rushed into the bedroom with Dr. Matthews right behind him. "Sweetheart, how are you doing?"

"I haven't felt any abdominal pains since you left but my foot and back are very painful."

Dr. Matthews approached the bed, already taking out some of his instruments for his examination. "I'm sorry you had the fall, Elizabeth. I would like to examine the baby first, just to make sure things are ok in there." Elizabeth nodded. Jack gtt in bed with her and rubbed her arm, needing to do something so he didn't fall apart. After Dr. Matthews had finished examining her belly, he smiled. "Things sound good in here. The heart beat is very strong. I don't feel any contractions. I am thinking you may have pulled a muscle in your abdomen when you fell or you may be experiencing some pain moving from your back." The couple both let out sighs of relief. "Let me check out your back next. Jack, would you help me pull her forward a little?"

"Of course." He sat up and put his hands on her shoulders on her right side while Dr. Matthews did the same on her left side. She groaned as they moved her forward but she dealt with it.

Dr. Matthews visually examined her back first. "You definitely hit something. You have a bruise forming back here." Jack looked at it and winced. Dr. Matthews continued his exam by gently pressing on the muscles. Elizabeth bit her lip to keep from crying out. Jack noticed her tense and he grabbed her hand so she could squeeze it. "You have some pulled muscles in your back and around into your abdomen, which explains the pains you have been feeling there. I have some salve Jack can put on you. Also take warm baths and getting plenty of rest." They both nodded, understanding his instructions. Dr. Matthews then moved to her left foot. When he lifted the blanket, they all gasped. Her ankle was bruised up and swollen. "I am glad you put your foot on this pillow. Getting it elevated is very important." He said as he gently probed her foot. Again, Elizabeth bit her lip to keep from crying and held on to Jack's hand for dear life. "The good news is, it's not broken, but you do have a very bad sprain. You are going to need to stay off of it as much as possible. Continue to prop it up and ice it. The warm bath will help it too. I brought some crutches with me just in case. I would like you to stay in bed as much as possible to rest both your back and foot but I know that at this stage in the pregnancy you need to use the bathroom a lot more. Use the crutches and have Jack help you whenever he is home."

"That won't be a problem, Dr. Matthews. I am going ask Bill to take over for me, so I can take care of Elizabeth."

Elizabeth looked at him, surprised. She knew she should protest, even just a little but she was so happy he wanted to stay home with him. She didn't want to be alone right now. When Dr. Matthews left the room to get the crutches, she told him how she felt. "Thank you, Jack. You don't have to but I really appreciate that you want to stay home with me."

"As if I would be anywhere else. I love you. It's my job to take care of you and our baby. I am so thankful you aren't more seriously hurt and that our baby is ok."

"Me too." She agreed and motioned for him to kiss her.

Dr. Matthews returned just as the parted from the kiss. He had the crutches with him and he propped them up next to her nightstand. Then he placed a jar of salve on her nightstand. "Jack, rub some salve on Elizabeth's back every few hours and after a bath. Jack, you may even want to massage her back, but make sure to use a light touch for a few days. You could even try massaging her foot too. Elizabeth, stay in bed as much as possible the first few days. Sit up like you are now, if you can. I know you must feel very uncomfortable with the baby and now the fall but do the best you can. Let Jack help you out as much as possible. If you feel worse or start experiencing other aches and pains, send Jack to get me. I will stop by tomorrow to check on you."

"All right, Dr. Matthews. Thank you."

Dr. Matthews turned to leave and Jack walked out with him. "Dr. Matthews, would you be able to stop by the jail and ask Bill to come by the house in the morning? I need to talk to him and I don't want to leave Elizabeth. You can fill him in if you want."

"Of course I will, Jack. I can also let Mrs. Stanton know."

"I would appreciate it, thanks."

"You're welcome. Have a good night." Dr. Matthews opened the front door and left.

Jack returned to the bedroom to find Elizabeth crying. He flew to her side and carefully pulled her in his arms, careful not to hurt her anymore that she was already hurting. "What is it, Sweetheart? Is the pain worse?" He rubbed the top of her back, knowing she wasn't hurt there.

"No, Jack. These are happy tears. I am just so thankful the baby is fine. Things could have been so much worse."

Jack felt a tear go down his check. He was thinking the same thing. He pulled away from her and wiped her tears away. "I am thankful too. Do you need anything right now? Something to eat maybe?"

"No thank you, Jack. The pain is making me nauseous. I would like to take a bath though. Maybe the warm water will relieve the pain and I can then have something to eat after."

"That sounds like a great idea. Would you like me to join you in the tub?"

"I would love it if you joined me."

"Of course. Let me go start the water then I will come back here and help you to the bathroom." He kissed her before he left the room.

Elizabeth leaned back slowly against the headboard, wincing in pain, not just from her back from the baby kicking her hard in the ribs. She smiled though; the kicking meant the baby was ok, putting her hands on her belly, relishing the feel of little feet against her stomach. She looked up when Jack walked back in the room. "Come feel, Jack. The baby is really active at the moment."

Jack quickly walked to the bed and placed his hands on her belly. Sure enough he felt the kick. He felt tears form in his eyes as relief swept through his body. The baby was going to be fine. "The bath is almost ready, Sweetheart. I am going to change then help you to the bathroom. I was thinking it might be easier for you to use the crutches to get in there. It will help you keep your balance while I get your nightgown off then get in the tub before you." She nodded, silently agreeing that his plan made sense.

A few short minutes later, Jack was standing in the warm water. "I think you should sit down on the edge of the tub, then let the crutches fall to the floor. I can then help you sit down in the water." She did as he suggested; it took a couple of minutes but she was finally sitting in the warm water. She felt Jack sit down behind and gently pull her back.

She moaned as she felt the warm water on her sore back. It felt a little better and she was beginning to feel a little relaxed. "Thank you, Jack. This feels good."

He kissed her on the back of her head. "I'm glad. Do you want me to try massaging your back or do you think it would cause you too much pain? I don't want to hurt you; I hate seeing you in pain."

"You do, Jack? What are you going to do when I am in labor?"

"That's different. The pain is worth it in the end with we will be holding a beautiful baby made from our love."

"That's beautiful, Jack. In answer to your question, I think I would rather just soak tonight. I think a massage would hurt too much tonight, plus you still need to rub the salve on my back."

"That's true. I will put it on as gently as possible."

"I know you will." She slowly leaned her head back against his chest. She was so tired but she wanted to stay awake and have something to eat. Just as she thought, the pain was decreasing and she wasn't feeling as sick anymore. Maybe Jack would make her some scrambled eggs for dinner. She didn't want anything too heavy. Jack began rubbing circles on her shoulders with his fingers. It felt so good. They just relaxed in the tub for about fifteen minutes before Elizabeth slowly sat up, still feeling some pain but it wasn't as bad as earlier. "Jack, I should get out of the tub now. The water is cooling off and I am hungry."

"Ok, Sweetheart. I am happy to hear you want something to eat. Let me get out first then I will help you." A few minutes later, Jack had dried her off and brought her back to bed. "What can I get you for dinner?"

"I was actually thinking I would like some scrambled eggs and toast. I don't want to have anything too heavy."

"Ok, that sounds good actually. I may have some too. Would you like some tea?"

"I would love some, thank you."

"I will be back soon." He kissed her, then left the bedroom. She sat back on the bed and counted her blessings that her accident was too serious. It would be hard for a few days while her injuries healed but with Jack home to help her, she would be fine. She had such a kind, thoughtful and loving husband who would do anything for her. She was most definitely blessed.

 _Coming up next: More healing and time spent with Jack_


	4. Chapter 4

Elizabeth was having a rough night. Her back and foot were incredibly painful and she was having a terrible time getting comfortable what with the injuries and the baby kicking and pressing on her insides. She desperately wanted to wake Jack up but she knew he would be tired taking care of her over the coming days and possibly weeks and she wanted to let him sleep. She was so tired and in so much pain, she started to cry. This was supposed to be one of the most exciting times in her life; she expected the discomfort of the last months of pregnancy but up to this point she had been so happy too. She still was to some extent but she was so upset that she had this accident. She felt like some sort of bad luck had fallen upon her. She tried to stop crying so she wouldn't alert Jack but she didn't succeed. She felt his arms go around her, rubbing her upper back and very slowly rocking her.

Jack had only been sleeping lightly, his body alert in case she needed him. He knew her so well; she wouldn't wake him up unless she was at her breaking point. She would want him to get more rest since he was taking care of her. That was one of the things he loved most about her and also agitated him about her. She had such a big heart, sometime so big that her own needs were ignored. He had to get her to understand that this time, she could rely on him to take care of her.

Just then he felt her completely break down in his arms, sobbing so hard he felt her shaking. He pulled away from her and wiped the tears away from her face. "Sweetheart, please tell me what's wrong?"

"Jack, I…think…I..I" She was so upset she couldn't formulate a thought. She continued to cry.

Jack pulled her back in his arms and continued to rock her. It was the only thing he could think of at that moment. He wanted to calm her down, knowing it couldn't be good for her or the baby to be this upset. They sat there for several minutes until he felt her sobs disappear. He pulled away again and looked at her tear stained face, reaching up to brush them away. "Elizabeth, please talk to me. I want to help you but I can't if you don't tell me what's wrong. This feels like it's more than just the pain of your injuries. Tell me, please, what you are feeling."

Elizabeth took in a big breath then let it out. "Jack, I'm a terrible mother. I don't know why you would want to be with me and be the mother of your children."

Jack sat there in shock. She had said it so fast he almost didn't understand what she had said. When it finally registered, he couldn't believe she had said it. "Elizabeth, that's crazy. You are an amazing wife and will be an incredible mother. Why would you think something like that?"

"Jack, look at what happened. I let my foolish fear control me today and because of that I slipped and fell, putting our baby in danger. If I hadn't been rushing to get inside and away from the lightening, I would have gotten in the house safely. I hurt my back and I can't walk. I'm six weeks from having our baby and I can't do anything by myself. You have to take time off of work to take care of me. I am just useless and needy and I have no business being a mother when I can't take care of myself. I am not even attractive anymore. I don't know how you can look at me or stand to be with me." By the end of her rant, she was crying again. She lowered her head so he wouldn't see her tears.

"Elizabeth! Look at me!" He tried to pull her face up but she wouldn't let him. "Elizabeth, look at me, now!" He said more harshly, while still trying to move her face.

After a couple of minutes, she wiped her tears away and lifted her face to look at him, expecting to see anger but only saw love and concern in his eyes.

"That's better. Now you listen to me. I don't ever want to hear you say those words again. Any of them. You are the most beautiful woman in the world to me, now more so than ever. You are carrying my baby and you are simply glowing. If it were still comfortable for you, I would show you how much I love you and find you breathtaking." He leaned in and gave her the most passionate kiss she had ever gotten from him. She moaned at the end of it, a part of her wanting more but knowing that was impossible right now. Jack pulled away to find tears once again, but he also saw love shining brightly in her eyes. He kissed away her tears before he continued. "You are not a terrible mother. You love children and you have been wonderfully taking care of our baby since the day you found out you were pregnant. You were all by yourself when you were going through the terrible morning sickness. You told me that after two days of not keeping any food or water down you knew you had to see the doctor, that something wasn't right. Your instinct was correct because you also told me that Dr. Matthews was happy you came to see him so quickly so he could help you with the morning sickness before it got out of hand and caused issues for both you and the baby. Remember how you said you were getting so tired by the end of the week when you were teaching and I was once again away? You told me you would come home every Friday and rest for the remainder of the night and all day Saturday. You have asked me countless times to help you with things that are too heavy for you to be lifting, things that you used to lift by yourself before you got pregnant. You did all these things because you were trying your best and succeeding, by the way, at taking care of yourself and our baby. You are a wonderful mother, Elizabeth. What happened to you in the storm was just an unfortunate accident. And don't forget. You also told me that you tried hard to get yourself out of that puddle and into the house because you knew you needed to get dry and take a look at your injuries. You are going to be the best mother ever, Elizabeth. Our child is going to be so lucky to have you. I am so lucky to have you." He leaned over and kissed her again, with the same passion as before, both of them moaning this time. When they parted, they were out of breath and crying, tears of happiness, joy and most of all, love.

"Thank you, Jack for saying all those wonderful things and for loving me. Deep down I knew that, but I was feeling sorry for myself. It still bothers me a little that I can't get around on my own, but I have the best husband in the whole world who will do anything for me." She kissed him, showing him without words how much she loves him and appreciates him.

When they parted, Jack put his hand on her face and stroked her cheek. "I would do anything and everything for you, Sweetheart. I love you so much; you are bringing into this world a precious little life that is the best parts of us, a being that was made from our love for each other. There are no words to express how much I love and appreciate all that you are doing for me right now. The only thing I know how to do is to take care of you and to love you the best that I can."

"Thank you, Jack." She tried to scoot down a little in bed so she could snuggle into Jack's warm body, but she felt a spasm in her back and groaned.

"What is it, Sweetheart? Your back?"

"Yes. I want to snuggle with you but my back is hurting too much to move. And I need to use the bathroom."

"I will help you to the bathroom, then when we come back, I can slip in bed behind you and hold you for a while."

"That sounds very nice. I would like to try that." She said as he got up and walked around the bed. Instead of getting her crutches, he picked her up and carried her to the bathroom. He set her down, then waited out in the bedroom for her to let him know she was done. Then he carried her back to bed, helping her sit down towards the middle so he could get behind her.

"Let me put some more of the salve on your lower back, then I will massage your upper back, shoulders and neck. Maybe that will help you fall asleep. I could tell you were having a terrible time earlier. I don't think you slept at all."

"No, I didn't, My Love. I think that's what led into my outburst. I was frustrated because I couldn't rest and then my mind started thinking about everything that went wrong and how happy I should be feeling with the baby almost here." She closed her eyes and moaned as she felt him rubbing the salve into her back. It was more of a relaxed moan than one drawn about by pain.

Jack smiled as he too realized that her sounds were not because he was hurting her but because he was helping her feel a little better. "Sweetheart, why didn't you wake me up? I would have stayed up with you, I could have helped you try to go to sleep."

"I wanted you to get some rest because I know how tired you will get having to help me right now. Carrying me to the bathroom must be so hard. I am so much heavier than I was when you carried me over the threshold when we got married." She turned her head to look over her shoulder and smiled at him. She wanted to make sure he understood her comment about her weight wasn't her thinking she wasn't beautiful to him anymore.

Jack smiled back at her. "I can still lift you with no problem, Sweetheart. I appreciate that you wanted me to get some rest, but I wasn't fully sleeping anyway. I was on alert for any movement from you in case you needed my help. I know it's hard for you not to be able to take care of yourself right now, but please let me care for you. I meant what I said earlier. It's my job to care for you and our baby. I love you both so much." He leaned down and began lightly kissing her shoulders.

Elizabeth let her head fall slightly forward and let out some sounds of pleasure. "Mmm, Jack. That feels so good."

"I'm glad. How about I give you that massage I told you about earlier? I would be more than happy to mix in the kissing you have been enjoying." He said as he trailed more kisses on her shoulders.

"Yes, please! I would love that. Thank you, My Love for making me feel better. I am sorry for my outburst earlier."

"Hush, now. I don't want to hear you talk about that anymore." He whispered in her ear. "Just lean your head forward like you were before. That's it, Sweetheart. Just relax." He gently rubbed her neck and shoulders, giving her light feather like kisses on her soft skin. He continued what he was doing for several minutes, feeling her get more and more relaxed.

"Jack, I am starting to get tired, but the baby is wide awake." She felt him put his arms around her belly. "Do you think you could maybe massage my belly to see if the baby would go to sleep?"

"Of course. Let me get you settled back on the pillow and then I will lie next to you in bed. That way you will be all set to fall asleep." Once he had Elizabeth as comfortable as she could be, he climbed in bed and moved down towards her stomach. He lifted her nightgown and began massaging her belly with both of his hands. He heard her let out some more moans pleasure.

"Jack, you have magic hands. That feels heavenly." She lifted a hand and began lightly running her fingers through his hair. "I wish the baby would settle down though. I could go to sleep right now if the baby wasn't moving so much."

"I have an idea." Jack moved his head closer to her belly and he began to softly sing. A few minutes later, the kicking started to slow down and Jack noticed a difference in Elizabeth's breathing. He looked up and saw her eyes were shut. It appeared she was finally asleep. He gently sat up, careful not to move the bed too much. He leaned over to kiss her on her forehead. "I love you, Sweetheart. Sleep well." He laid his head down on his pillow.

"Love you too." He heard her softly whisper. He smiled and closed his eyes to try and get some sleep.


	5. Chapter 5

Jack woke up first the next morning. He glanced over at the clock and noted it was 9:30 in the morning. He let out a sigh of relief. Elizabeth had pretty much slept through the night after her outburst. She only woke up once around 5, needing to use the bathroom and she asked him to put some more salve on her back. He was relieved that she had finally gotten comfortable enough to rest. He put his head back down on his pillow, intending to get a little more sleep himself, when he noticed her starting to stir.

Elizabeth slowly opened her eyes and tried to stretch when she felt the terrible pain in her back. She groaned, remembering the accident from the day before. She felt Jack sit up in bed next to her and she turned her head towards him. "Morning, My Love." She whispered softly. She felt wiped out.

Jack noted the exhaustion in her face and her voice. "Morning, Sweetheart. How are you feeling?"

"Tired, sore and hungry." She replied with a weak smile. "And I need to use the bathroom. Big surprise." She shrugged.

Jack immediately got out of bed and started what would be their new routine of him helping her to the bathroom. "Would you like to take a bath after breakfast?"

"I don't know. Maybe. I am so tired I may just go back to sleep. I would go back to sleep now but I need to have breakfast. The baby needs nourishment too and I need to eat to help my injuries heal."

"That's a great attitude to have. Knowing what you need to do to get better is half the battle. He set her down in the bathroom and gave her a kiss before letting her have some privacy. As he was leaving, he turned back to her. "You know, your mothering instincts are kicking again. You know that food in especially important right now not only to nourish our baby but to aid in your healing." He kissed her then walked out into the bedroom.

While she was freshening herself up, Elizabeth thought about what Jack had just said and remembered his talk from last night. He was right. She had been taking extra good care of herself since learning she was pregnant. What happened yesterday was just as he said, an unfortunate accident. She hummed to herself as she washed her face, finally feeling happy after what had happened. She was about to call for Jack when she thought she her someone knocking on the front door.

Jack was pacing the bedroom waiting for Elizabeth. He was still surprised by her outburst the night before. He knew it was the pain talking but she must have been thinking about it before the accident. Maybe it was just nerves with the baby's arrival in six weeks. He was about to check on Elizabeth when he heard a knock on their front door. "Elizabeth? Someone's at the door. It may be Bill. I am going to answer it then come back to get you. Is that ok?"

"That's fine Jack." She called back to him, then perched herself on the side of the bathtub to wait. She thought about trying to get back to the bed by herself with the crutches but she wasn't sure she could make it. Not to mention Jack would be upset with her for not waiting.

Jack hurried to the door and opened the door. Sure enough, Bill was on the other side along with Abigail. "Hi Bill, Abigail. Come on it. I have to help Elizabeth back to bed but then we can talk."

"How is she feeling, Jack? Dr. Matthews told us about her accident and injuries. She must be in agony." Abigail said.

"She is doing as well as can be expected. She is in more pain than she lets on. She tries to hide it from me but I can tell she hurts." Jack looked at his friends with worried eyes.

"She will feel better soon, especially with you caring for her, Jack. I brought some food for you both. I am going to take it to the kitchen while you help her get settled. I will start some tea."

"That will be great, Abigail. She woke up hungry. I was going to make her some breakfast after I got her settled again."

"I made her favorite muffins this morning. Ask her if she would like some. I can also make some eggs."

Jack reached over and hugged Abigail. When he pulled away, his eyes were a little wet. "What would we do without you, both of you?" He then left and returned to the bedroom. He knocked on the door, then poked his head in. "Ready to go back to bed?"

She let out a sign and nodded her head. "Who was at the door?" She asked, hoping he didn't hear her sign.

Jack looked at her, concerned. He knew the question was her trying to deflect the conversation away from her sighing. He answered her question though. "Bill stopped by and Abigail was with him. She brought us food and offered to make breakfast. She made blueberry muffins for you." He watched her face to see if there would be a positive reaction. He was rewarded with one of her bright smiles, the one that always made his heart flutter.

"Yummy!" She said. "I was craving them yesterday." She put her arms around his shoulders as he picked her up. She was amazed with the ease it took for him to lift her. Maybe she wasn't as heavy as she thought. "Would you ask her to make me some eggs too? I need the protein."

Jack laughed. "She already offered. You must have been sending her signals."

Elizabeth giggled. "I must have been." Jack placed her on the bed and helped her get settled under the covers. "Do you need anything for now? I am going to go out to talk to Bill."

"Just a kiss. And if you wouldn't mind handing me my journal. I would appreciate it."

"I can do both those things." Jack replied, as he leaned down to kiss her. He grabbed her journal and handed it to her. "I shouldn't be too long." He stared into her beautiful blue eyes for a moment, stroked her cheek, and then left the bedroom. He went to the kitchen to tell Abigail what Elizabeth wanted to eat. He found Bill sitting at the table talking to Abigail. "Thanks for coming out this morning, Bill."

"No problem, Jack. I was so sorry and a bit worried when I heard about Elizabeth's fall and injuries. I would have stopped by even if you hadn't asked to see me. I am guessing you want to take some time off to take care of her."

"Yes I do. I can't leave her to fend for herself, not when she can barely move. Not to mention she needs to rest her foot. I would really appreciate it if you could handle things for me."

"Done, Jack. If you hadn't asked, I would have offered and given you a lecture for not wanting to stay home with her."

Jack let out a noise that sounded like a laugh. "Thank you, Bill. It means a lot to me, especially since you are taking over for me when she had the baby."

"Don't worry about that, Jack. Just concentrate on taking care of Elizabeth. She needs you now more than ever."

"That's right, Jack." Abigail said. Both men looked up at her, as if they had forgotten she was in the room. "Elizabeth is one who likes to take care of others before herself. Being stuck in bed is going to be so hard for her."

"I know. She had a breakdown last night. She was so frustrated that she can't do anything right now. She hates it that I have to take time off work to care for her. She was so upset; she couldn't understand why I would want to be with her."

"What did she mean by that?" Bill asked.

"In her mind she was thinking she was a terrible mother for letting the accident happen." Jack said softly.

Abigail sat down next to Jack and squeezed his hand. "Jack, that's just pain and frustration talking. She knows deep down she will make a great mother. I can talk to her later, if you would like."

"I know Elizabeth would love to chat with you, but it doesn't have to be about her feeling inadequate about being a mom. We talked it out last night and she is doing much better now. I do have to say it scared me when she said she didn't know why I would still be with her. That she was a terrible mom and she wasn't attractive anymore."

"Oh, Jack. All women feel that way at this point in the pregnancy. I know I did. One day Noah came home to find dinner burning and me sobbing on the sofa. It scared him to the core. He had never seen me like that. He quickly took care of dinner and rush to my side to find out what was wrong. I was so upset because I was having trouble reaching the pots on the back of the stove and the food started burning. It hit me just at that moment that I must be so fat that Noah wouldn't love me anymore and that because I couldn't cook that meal it would mean I couldn't take care of my baby. Noah made me see quickly that I was just being silly, that he loved me as much as he did the day he married me and I was more beautiful to him than I ever was. He said something about me blossoming with new life and that it made me absolutely gorgeous in his eyes. He also said that me worrying about our baby going hungry only proved that I already was a great mother. If I was a terrible mother I wouldn't care if the baby didn't eat."

"You went through all that too?" Jack was amazed. He always figured Abigail handled her pregnancy with ease.

"I did, Jack. Pregnancy hormones do strange things to women. Not to mention by that point in the pregnancy, women are tired of being pregnant. They just want the baby get out. Having this accident is only making Elizabeth feel worse than she already is. At least before the injuries she could get up and walk around. Now she is stuck in bed with both a foot injury and a bad back. A back that is probably already sore from the pressure the baby is putting on it. Peter used to like to kick at my back. That hurt so much it brought tears to my eyes. If your baby is doing the same thing to Elizabeth, she is in double the pain. Just try to do things for her that will help relieve the pain, which I am sure you are already doing. Also, if you want, I can tell Elizabeth the story. I won't even mention it was because you told me about her outburst. I was at the six week point when I had my breakdown. She would probably appreciate hearing that I had a similar reaction."

"That would be great, Abigail. Thank you." He smiled at her. "I told Elizabeth similar things that Noah told you. It helped her quite a bit"

"I'm glad, Jack. Just keep reassuring her and give her all the love you feel for her. She needs to feel loved and wanted right now."

"That's no problem, Abigail. I love her more now than I ever did."

"I see that." Abigail said, then got up from the table. "I am going to make her eggs then bring a tray in for her. I would like to visit for a while if that's ok." Jack nodded. "I made coffee. I am sure you haven't eaten yet. Have some breakfast and talk to Bill for a while."

"Thanks again."

A few minutes later, Abigail was walking into Elizabeth and Jack's bedroom with a tray. "I have breakfast for you, Elizabeth. I hope you are hungry." She said with a smile and as placed the tray on the bed in front of Elizabeth.

"Yes I am, Abigail. Thank you for making breakfast for me. I feel bad taking you away from the café."

"Don't worry about that. I didn't open the café for breakfast today so I could make you food and come out and see you. You are more important to me than the missed breakfast sales."

Elizabeth felt her eyes fill with tears. "Thank you, Abigail. That means so much to me." She wiped the tears from her face. "Abigail would you sit with me while I eat?"

"Of course I will." She pulled a chair over towards the bed and sat down. She smiled as Elizabeth eagerly bit into one of the muffins. A huge smile went on her friend's face as she closed her eyes and savored the flavor.

"These are so good." Elizabeth said with a mouth full of muffin. "I was craving these yesterday. Somehow you must have known. Thank you."

Abigail laughed. "I am glad I could satisfy your craving. Cravings. I remember having those when I was expecting. Seeing you pregnant has brought back so many memories for me. I was just thinking about an emotional breakdown I had when I was at this stage of my pregnancy. Would you like to hear about it?"

"I would yes. I don't know if Jack told you but I had an outburst last night. I scared him, I think."

"He mentioned something about it and I could tell he was worried about you." She then told Elizabeth her tale. "Don't worry about the tears or the doubts you are feeling. It's all normal. Every mom-to-be experiences them. It's worse for you because of the accident but you have a wonderful husband taking care of you. Remember to talk to him. Don't keep it bottled inside. Don't be afraid to ask him to help you either. It's ok to lean on him more right now. He knows that you are a strong woman; it is part of what attracted him to you and to fall in love with you."

Elizabeth was crying again. "Thank you, Abigail. Your words mean so much to me. I feel so much better now. At least emotionally. Physically, things are going to rough for a while, but Jack will do anything he can to help me feel better."

"That's right. Jack is an amazing husband." She stood up from her chair and leaned over to hug her friend. She looked down at the tray and was pleased to see that Elizabeth had eaten everything. "I have to get going. I plan on opening for dinner tonight and want to get started cooking. I will come by tomorrow to see you. Don't hesitate to send Jack to get me if you feel like talking to me. Woman to woman, mother to mother."

"I will. Thanks again for breakfast and chatting with me."

"Of course. I am planning on making pot roast for dinner. I am going to send Bill here with your meals tonight. You and Jack spend time together. Let him pamper you."

"I plan to. Goodbye, Abigail." She smiled at her friend and watched as Abigail picked up the tray and walked out of the bedroom. She leaned back as carefully as she could and rest her head against the headboard. She closed her eyes to rest for a few minutes.

A few minutes later, Jack appeared in the doorway of the bedroom. He saw her eyes were shut, so he took a moment to just look at her. Even with all that she had been through, she was beautiful. Even though she was a little pale, she was breathtaking. He quietly walked over to the bed and reached over to take her hand. He kissed it, watching her face as her eyes opened. She smiled at him, another one of her bright smiles that always made his heart jump. "Hi, Beautiful! How are you feeling?"

"Hello My Handsome Mountie! I feel about the same as before. Tired and sore, but I think I do want to take a bath. Maybe my handsome husband would join me." She gazed up at him with a hopeful look on her face, even though she knew he wouldn't say n

"Of course I will. Let me go start the water." He leaned down to kiss her, then hurried to the bathroom. He was back quickly, ready to carry her to the bathroom.

"Jack, I would like to try using the crutches. I should get used to them in case there is a time you can't help me."

Jack nodded. "I will walk with you though, just in case." He handed her the crutches, then helped her out of bed. She took them and placed them under each arm. It was slow going at first but she made it to the bathroom without any trouble. She let Jack help her get out of her clothes and into the tub. Once she was settled, he quickly undressed and sat down behind her in the tub. He gently pulled her towards him, setting her to rest against his chest. "Is this position feel ok, Sweetheart?"

"It does, yes. I can feel the warm water on my back. It feels heavenly."

Jack, happy that she was feeling good at the moment, started to lightly caress her arms. She moaned softly, enjoying what he was doing to her. They sat there for several minutes, just enjoying the warm water and each other.

"Jack, would you rub my back for me? I am not in as much pain as yesterday but it does feel stiff. Maybe you could get the knots out."

"I would be happy to try, but don't keep it in if you are in pain. Let me know and I will stop. I don't want to make your injuries worse."

She nodded and slowly sat up in the tub. She felt his hands go to work on her lower back and let out a moan. "I promise I will say something, but for right now, what you are doing, feelings so good." She said. His hands worked their magic for about five minutes before Elizabeth asked him to stop. "Don't worry, Jack. You really helped me but my back is starting to really hurt again."

"No problem, Sweetheart. I wanted you to tell me when it hurt. Do you want to stay in the tub a little while longer or do you feel like going back to bed?"

"I want to get it. The water is starting to cool off." She felt him get up and out of the tub. She watched while he wrapped a towel over his muscular body, wishing she was feeling well enough to show him how much she loved him and appreciated him. Jack then helped her out of the tub and dried her off.

"Let me carry you to bed, Angel."

"Ok. I did well enough before, I think I can handle the crutches if I need them again." She felt him pick her up and at the same time it sunk in that he had called her a different term of endearment. "Did you just call me Angel?"

"Yes, I did because you are My Angel. You look out for me like I do for you. You are my beautiful, heavenly Angel." He replied as he placed her on the bed. He leaned down and kissed her with such passion she thought her heart would explode. After they parted, he tucked the covers in around her. "Is there anything else I can do for you right now?"

"No, I want to try taking a nap. Do you want to join me? You didn't get much sleep last night either."

"I would love to take a nap with you." He got into bed with her and positioned himself on his side facing her. He then put an arm around her so he could hold her. "This doesn't bother you does it? I want to hold you in my arms."

"No, it doesn't. I am glad you want to hold me because I feel like being held." She picked up his hand and kissed it, then settled down on her pillow to go to sleep. "I love you, My Handsome Mountie."

"I love you, Angel." In minutes they were both asleep.

 _Coming up next, the birth!_


	6. Chapter 6

Three weeks had passed since Elizabeth's fall. Her foot was healing nicely; she was only occasionally using the crutches. It was her back that was still the problem. The bruise was gone but it still hurt. Elizabeth figured it was because of the changes to her body due to the pregnancy. Her back was dealing with a lot of pressure from the baby and the injury. She would be so relieved when the baby finally made her or his appearance and then her back could really heal.

One night, she couldn't sleep. She was feeling pains every so often in her abdomen and across her back. She had been experiencing pains for the last couple of weeks but they would always go away fairly quickly. She figured they were Braxton Hicks contractions. Tonight they were coming more frequently. She wasn't sure if she was going into labor. Even though she wasn't at her due date yet, she was only three weeks away and wasn't as worried about having the baby earlier. Dr. Matthews had said during her last exam that he felt the baby might come early and that the baby would be fine. Jack had run into town for groceries when the doctor had come by; she decided she wouldn't say anything to Jack what the doctor said. He was already getting very nervous about the birth; if she mentioned it could be any day now, he wouldn't leave her side and would stare at her as if she were going to explode. She couldn't deal with that.

Suddenly, a contraction hit her with such pain that she couldn't help but cry out. It woke Jack up. "Elizabeth, Sweetheart? What's the matter?"

She let out a deep breath as the pain passed. "Jack, I don't want to alarm you but I have been having contractions on and off all night. The one I just had was pretty painful."

"Contractions? Are you in labor? Do you need Dr. Matthews? I should go get him. Where are my clothes?" He jumped out of bed and started rummaging around for something to wear into town.

"Jack, calm down. I am not sure if I am in labor yet. It could be more Braxton Hicks pains. Why don't you get back in bed with me and help me time the pains."

Jack made his way back to bed. "Ok, if that's what you think we should do, but I would feel much better if we got the doctor. You are still three weeks from your due date. Aren't you concerned about the baby coming early?"

Elizabeth sighed. She had to tell him what Dr. Matthews said. "We can wait, Jack. I am monitoring the pains. The last two have been approximately fifteen to twenty minutes apart. Dr. Matthews said it was important to time them." She paused and put her hands on his face. "Jack, when Dr. Matthews was here the other day, he said he felt I might have the baby earlier that my due date. He said the baby would be fine."

"What? Why didn't you tell me that? I have been leaving you alone here the last couple of days and you could have gone into labor." He was beginning to panic.

"Jack, please calm down. I was fine. You may have been checking in at the jail and getting things for me but people were always stopping by to see me. I was never alone for very long. If I am going it to labor tonight, you are with me, just like we planned." She looked into his eyes and noticed he was calming down.

"You're right. You were never alone for very long. I just wished I had known what Dr. Matthews had said."

"I'm sorry. I should have told you but I was afraid you would be doubly nervous about our impending arrival." Just then another contraction began. She glanced at the clock and noticed almost exactly fifteen minutes as passed. She began breathing deeply, something she had been doing since the pains began and it made her feel better. She felt Jack put an arm around her and caress her.

Jack had felt her tense when the pain started and noticed her breathing deeply. He realized she was having another contraction and the breathing must be helping her with the pain. Rather than letting himself panic again, he decided to encourage her though the pain. "That's it, Sweetheart. Breathe in and out, in and out. That's it. You are doing so well."

When the contraction ended, she turned to Jack. "Jack, I think you should go get Dr. Matthews and Abigail now. That contraction came fifteen minutes after my last one. I am pretty sure I am having this baby today."

Jack's nerves grew. He hopped out of bed and turned on the lights so he could see to put his clothes on. Once dressed, he walked over to kiss her goodbye. "I will be back as soon as I can, Angel. Keep doing your breathing."

"I will, Jack. Don't worry. I will be fine. It could be hours yet before the baby arrives." He nodded, wondering how she could be so calm, then quickly left the bedroom.

The pains became more frequent while he was gone. She continued to time them. They were coming between seven and ten minutes apart. The breathing helped but she noticed them getting more painful. Her back was really beginning to feel bad and lying in bed was making it feel worse. She wondered if getting up and walking around would help her feel better. She decided to walk without the crutches. She walked out of the bedroom and down the hall to the living room, stopping every so often when a contraction hit. Her back did feel better now that she was standing up and walking.

Jack ran up the steps to Dr. Matthews' office and stopped at the door. He raised his hand to knock when he noticed a note on it. He picked it up and read it, becoming increasingly alarmed. Dr. Matthews had taken a critically ill patient to the hospital in Buxton and wouldn't be home until sometime the next day. Jack, not knowing what to do, ran over to the café to wake up Abigail. Maybe she would know. He pounded on her door, calling her name, hoping she would hear. A light turned on inside and he could see a figure through the curtain approaching the door.

Abigail, not knowing who could be knocking on her door at this hour, cautiously opened the door. "Jack? What's wrong?" She noted the worry on his face. She wondered if Elizabeth was in labor.

"Abigail, Elizabeth has been having regular contractions for a while now. She thinks she is in labor. I just went to get Dr. Matthews but he is away. Who is going to deliver the baby? I don't know what to do."

Abigail grabbed him by the arm and brought him inside. She sat him down at the table and got him paper and a pencil. "Jack, the first thing you are going to do is take some deep breathes and calm down. You aren't going to be any good to Elizabeth if you are having a panic attack." She watched as he breathed. When she saw he was calm again, she sat down at the table. "Now, I want you to write a note for Dr. Matthews, letting him know that Elizabeth is in labor. That way if he gets back here before she delivers, he can come out to your house. After you put the note on his door, go wake Bill up. Have him go to Cat's house and wake her up. Both of us can help deliver the baby in Dr. Matthews 'absence. I am going to get dressed now. Meet me back here and then we can go to your house." She patted him on his arm.

"Ok, thank you, Abigail. I lost it there for a few minutes. I needed to get myself calmed down so I can help Elizabeth. Did she tell you I plan on helping her though labor?"

"Yes, she did and I think that's great." She smiled and then walked up to her bedroom to change. She laughed to herself over his reaction. It was just like Noah's. Men were all the same.

Back at the Thornton home, the pains had increased and they were coming about every five minutes. Elizabeth was still walking around; she had tried to sit down on the couch to rest but her back, which was feeling better while she was up and about, started to hurt again. She had gotten back up and continued walking, wondering how her back would feel when she had to get back in bed to deliver the baby. She pushed those thoughts to the back of her mind and instead started thinking about the baby she would be holding in her arms. Would she be holding Erin or Daniel? She smiled; it didn't matter to her. She felt so much love for her baby already and she knew it would only grow the minute she held her baby in her arms.

Just then she heard footsteps on the porch and at the same moment, a pop. She felt liquid rush down her legs. She was looking at the floor when the door opened and Jack rushed inside. "Careful, Jack. My water just broke." She pointed to the floor.

Jack looked down and saw the puddle. "Ok, ok, I guess that means we are having a baby today." He then realized Elizabeth was standing in the living room. "What are you doing out of bed?"

"My back was hurting so much with each pain that I decided I wanted to try walking to see if that would help. It has been." She brought a hand to her belly as another contraction began. She moaned with the pain and tried to remember the breathing.

Abigail walked over to her friend and took hold of her other hand. "Squeeze my hand, Elizabeth." She said as she rub her back. Soon the pain had passed. "Let's get you into the bedroom and into a dry nightgown. Then I want to examine you. Dr. Matthews had an emergency and isn't here right now. Bill went to wake up Cat and she and I will help deliver the baby. And of course, Jack will be here with you." Abigail motioned for Jack to come over and help walk Elizabeth back to the bedroom.

They had barely entered the bedroom when Elizabeth felt another contraction. She let go of Abigail and put both her hands on Jack's shoulders. She let herself fall against him, hoping for some relief. He put his hands on her lower back and started massaging her. She moaned as she felt the pain ease away. Once the pain was over, she let go of Jack. "Thank you for rubbing my back. It really helped."

He kissed her forehead, glad he was able to give her some relief. "Let's get you into that dry nightgown before your next pain." He said. While he had been helping Elizabeth, Abigail had gotten a nightgown out for her. Once they had Elizabeth in a new gown, she had another pain. She leaned against Jack again and he continued rubbing her back. When it was over, he helped her lie down. Once she was settled, they heard a knock at the door.

"Jack that must be Cat. Could you go get the door while I take a look at things here?"

He nodded and left the room. He was feeling so nervous and a bit scared but at the same time happy and excited. Their baby was going to be here soon and he felt good about helping Elizabeth through the contractions. He still hated seeing her in pain but as long as he could keep busy helping her, he would be ok. He opened the door and sure enough, Cat was on the other side. He let her in.

"Hi there, Daddy. I hear a baby is about to be born here tonight." She said cheerfully. "How are you holding up?"

"I'm ok. Nervous and scared but good. I have been helping Elizabeth with the pains and it is making me feel useful. I don't know if I could take being out here listening to her cry." He led her down the hall to the bedroom.

"I am so glad you want to help her. I wanted my husband to be in with me but the midwife and doctor wouldn't allow it." They arrived in the bedroom just as Abigail was helping Elizabeth sit up.

"Hi Cat. Thank you for coming out to help me. Elizabeth is moving alone. She is more than half way there. I think she can walk around some more since it seems to help her back but let's keep her in the bedroom this time. We don't know how quickly things will go and I would rather she be close to the bed." Jack nodded and quickly moved to help Elizabeth up. "Cat, let's go to the kitchen and start getting things organized. Jack, call us if she needs anything."

Jack nodded, but Elizabeth was having another pain so he concentrated on her. She screamed a little with this contraction. He moved his hands to her back and began rubbing it again. When the pain was over, he pulled her into his arms. "How are you doing, Sweetheart? I can tell it's getting more painful. You don't have to try to hold in the screams. Yell if you need to."

"I may just do that. The breathing isn't helping so much anymore. I want to lie down but my back hurts so much when I do, so I want to stand as long as I can."

"What if you lie down in bed on your side and I rub your back during and after your pains? Do you thing that would help?"

"It might. I would like to try that. Thank you for suggesting it." She kissed him.

"I just want to try anything that can help with the pain. I want you to feel as well as you can right now."

"You are the best husband a woman has ever had." She said before another pain began. Once it was over, he helped her lie down. Once his hands started massaging her back, she let out a loud moan.

"Are you ok? Do you need Abigail?"

"No, I'm fine for the moment. It just felt so good, you working at the muscles in my back."

For several hours he helped her, rubbing her back between pains. Cat let her hold squeeze her hand as the contractions became more and more painful. Elizabeth continued to breathe through her pains, only moaning or softly screaming as they got worse. Jack was so proud of her and what she was doing. He was amazed at her strength and she hadn't given birth yet.

Finally the time came to push. Cat got up and got things ready for the baby while Jack got behind Elizabeth and supported her while she pushed. It hurt so much that she started screaming loudly but Jack didn't really notice. He concentrated on her needs, letting her squeeze his hands so hard he thought she might break his fingers. He breathed with her between contractions and whispered encouraging words in her ears.

"Come on, Elizabeth! Push! I can see the head." Abigail said.

"You can do it, Sweetheart! You are almost there. It won't be long before our baby is in your arms." Jack said softly. 'I love you, so much!"

Elizabeth dug down deep into herself and pushed again, this time feeling even more pain. She screamed and clamped down on Jack's hands. She kept pushing with all her might as the shoulders were born. After another push, she felt the baby slid out of her body and then she heard the most precious sound ever; her baby crying. She felt tears of joy falling down her face as she collapsed against Jack's body. Jack leaned down and kissed her forehead and she felt tears falling from his face.

Abigail and Cat quickly took care of the baby, while the new parents waited impatiently to hold the new arrival. "Abigail? Is the baby all right? Did we have a boy or a girl?" Elizabeth asked.

Abigail turned around with a big smile on her face and approached the bed. "Congratulations! You have a beautiful daughter!" She handed the baby to Elizabeth's waiting arms.

"A little girl!" Elizabeth exclaimed as more tears fell down her face. "Look at what we made, Jack. She is so beautiful!"

Jack gazed down upon his daughter's face, tears flowing down his cheeks. She was beautiful, just like her mother. "She looks just like you, Sweetheart! Little Erin. Erin Charlotte Thornton, welcome to the world." He said as he stroked her little head. "Thank you for delivering her, Abigail." He looked up when Abigail didn't respond and realized only he, Elizabeth and Erin were in the room.

"Would you like to hold her, Daddy?" Elizabeth asked.

"More than anything in the world." He whispered as he carefully got up from behind her and helped her lie back against the headboard. Then he got into bed next to her and took the baby from her. Erin opened her eyes at that moment and he was delighted to see they were blue, just like her mother's. "Look, she has blue eyes!"

Elizabeth laughed. "Jack, all babies have blue eyes. She could easily have your hazel eyes in a few months."

"No, they are going to remain blue, just like yours." He looked up then at his wife and noticed how beautiful she looked. Tired but beautiful. "Look at my beautiful girls. I am a lucky man. Thank you for bringing her into our lives, Sweetheart. You did a great job."

"Thank you, Jack." She replied as they heard a knock at the door. "Come in."

Abigail poked her head in. "I came in to check on you. Jack, why don't you take the baby out of the room for a few minutes?"

"All right." He hated to leave Elizabeth but knew it was important for Abigail to make sure Elizabeth was doing ok. "Before I go, let me introduce you to Erin Charlotte Thornton."

"Erin Charlotte. That's a beautiful name for a beautiful baby." Abigail gazed down at baby Erin before Jack left the room.

About ten minutes later, Abigail returned to the living room. Jack had let Cat hold the baby for a few minutes. "How are you doing, Daddy?" She asked

"I'm tired and my hands are sore but I am over the moon happy. I can't get over how beautiful she is. She looks just like her mother."

Abigail put her arms around Jack and hugged him. "Erin does look like Elizabeth but she has your mouth and dimples."

Cat had just handed the baby back to Jack. Erin woke up and appeared to be smiling at him. That was when he noticed that Abigail was right. His precious little girl had his mouth and dimples. "I can't get over this. She's here, she's really here." He continued to stare at his beautiful baby daughter, overwhelmed with the feelings of love that were flowing through his body.

"Jack, Elizabeth was so tired so I told her to take a nap and I would send you back in. Erin may want to eat soon. I am going to stay here for a while just to make sure Elizabeth is ok and I will make you both something to eat." She turned to Cat. "Thank you for helping me today. I appreciated it. You can go home to your family now."

"I am glad you asked. I can't wait to tell Emily that she got her wish. She wanted Mrs. Thornton to have a girl." She grabbed her coat and turned to Jack before leaving. "Congratulations again, Jack. She is a real beauty."

"Thank you, Cat." Jack replied. "I am going to go back to Elizabeth now. Make yourself at home. Take a nap in the guest room if you want. I know you must be just as tired as I am."

"I might just do that, Jack. Come get me if she needs anything."

"I will." Jack turned and walked down the hall to the bedroom. He quietly opened the door and paused to look at his sleeping wife. He was amazed at what she did, bringing their beautiful little girl into this world. He moved towards the bed and sat down next to Elizabeth. He looked down at the bundle in his arms and noticed her eyes were opening and moving around, as if she was taking in her new surroundings. Then she let out a whimper and started making sucking sounds with her mouth.

Elizabeth stirred when she heard the baby let out a soft cry. She opened her eyes and found Jack staring down at her with a huge smile on his face and love shining in his eyes. He was holding Erin. "Hi, Jack. Is she hungry?"

"Hi, Sweetheart! Yes, I think she is." Elizabeth sat up in bed and unbuttoned her nightgown, then reached over to take Erin from her daddy. Once she was settled, she guided Erin's head towards her breast. Erin latched on immediately and began eating. Elizabeth watched her daughter eat, enjoying this special bonding she was having with her baby girl.

Jack watched Elizabeth feeding Erin. He felt tears come to his eyes. They were gorgeous. Erin was resting her little hand on her mother's breast while she ate; Elizabeth was gazing down on her with love in her eyes. They made such a pretty picture. He decided this was the picture he was going to paint next. His beautiful girls.


	7. Chapter 7

15 months later:

Elizabeth opened the oven and pulled out the roast beef she was cooking. It smelled wonderful. She then checked the rest of the dinner she was planning for Jack's homecoming. Everything was going as planned. Jack had been away for two months; he had sent her a telegram yesterday telling her he would be home today. She was so happy because she had wonderful news for him. She planned to have a special dinner and a night alone with him. She asked Charlotte to take Erin for the night and Charlotte happily agreed. She loved spending time with her beautiful granddaughter and since she knew what it was that Elizabeth wanted to tell Jack, she was more than willing to help. Now all Elizabeth needed for a perfect evening was the man himself.

Jack ran up the steps to the front door, anxious to see his wife and daughter. He hated having to go on these extended assignments and leaving his family, but as a Mountie, he was expected to do them. He wondered how much Erin had grown in the time he was gone. He felt a little sad knowing he missed a big part of his daughter's life. He stopped himself from those thoughts. He was home now and he couldn't wait to put his arms around Elizabeth and then go hold his sweet angel and shower and shower both of them with kisses. He opened the door and stepped inside, his nose immediately alerted him to something good cooking for dinner. "Elizabeth?" He called out. "I'm home!"

Elizabeth came running out of the kitchen. "Jack! I missed you so much!" She ran into his opened arms and gave him a big kiss.

Jack eagerly returned his wife's affections. When they parted, he whispered into her ear. "I missed you too. You and Erin. Is she sleeping?"

"Actually, Jack, I thought we needed to have a night to ourselves. Your mother has her and will bring home in the morning. I hope you don't mind. We could go see her after dinner if you want." She bit her lip, wondering if she should have kept Erin home. She hoped Jack wouldn't be angry with her.

Jack saw the worry in her eyes. While he did want to see Erin, he thought Elizabeth's plan to just spend the evening alone together was a great idea. "I don't mind waiting until tomorrow to see her, Sweetheart. Spending a quiet evening with you is the perfect way to celebrate my coming home."

Elizabeth had a twinkle in her eye as she stood on her toes to kiss him. "I have something to tell you that may make you want to celebrate more. Dinner needs about another half hour to cook so let's go sit on the sofa together and talk." She grabbed his arm and tried pulling him towards the living room, but he pulled her back towards him.

"Would you mind if I go clean up first? I hardly stopped the last two days just so I could get home faster to you and Erin. I think a quick bath and a change of clothes are in order."

"Of course, Jack. Go get changed. I will be in the kitchen checking on dinner while you get cleaned up." She stood on her toes and gave him a long, passionate kiss, letting him know what would be coming later that night.

"Oh, My Sweet Elizabeth. You will never know how much I missed you."

"I think I do know because of how much I missed you too." She kissed his cheek, then left the living room.

A little while later, Jack made his way to the kitchen. He was surprised when he walked in. Elizabeth had lit candles all over the room, making it look very romantic. There were flowers on the table too and there was a gift sitting by his place. Elizabeth was checking something on the stove, so her back was turned to him. He came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist, kissing her neck. "Wow, Elizabeth. The kitchen looks great."

She looked over her shoulder at him. "Thank you. I need to let the roast rest for a few more minutes. Why don't we sit down and you can open the welcome home present I got for you." She grabbed his hand and pulled him towards the table.

"Ok." Jack sat down in his chair and picked up the gift. He shook it but didn't hear anything rattling in the box. He tore off the wrapping paper and opened the box. Inside was a small teddy bear wearing a shirt that said "I love my Daddy!" He stared at it, noticing the bear was also wearing what looked to be a Mountie hat. He swallowed hard, a lump forming in his throat and he felt tears fall down his cheeks. He looked up at Elizabeth; she was smiling and he could see love shining in her eyes. "Elizabeth!" He could barely speak her name, he was so choked up with emotions. He cleared his throat and tried again. "Does this mean what I think it means? You're pregnant?"

Elizabeth nodded her head, tears streaming down her cheeks as well. "Yes, Jack. I'm pregnant again. There must be something about us and conceiving babies' right before you have to go away on Mountie business. I'm two months along."

Jack jumped up from the table and kneeled down next to her. He looked into her beautiful blue eyes and brought his hand to her face to wipe away her tears. "I love you so much, Sweetheart!" He put his hand on her abdomen. "I love you too, baby."

"We love you too, Daddy!" Elizabeth replied and leaned down to kiss him. They were both crying happy tears when they parted. They stared at each other for a few minutes before Elizabeth started to stand up. "I should get dinner on the table."

Jack put his hands on her shoulders and guided her back into her chair. "You sit down and rest, Sweetheart. I will get dinner."

"Jack, I am perfectly capable of getting the food on the table. After all, I cooked it."

"I know you are and I am happy you planned this special meal. I still want you to rest and I will take care of things. Remember, I missed out on a lot of this when you were expecting Erin. Please, let me pamper you tonight."

Elizabeth sighed. She wasn't going to win this battle. Yet, in a way, she thought it was very sweet of him. "Ok, Jack. You win." She smiled at him and he returned the grin.

Once he had put everything on the table, he sat down and reached across to grab her hand. He squeezed it and smiled at her. "Thank you for the wonderful coming home present, Sweetheart."

She returned the smile. "You're welcome." She then started putting food on her plate. Jack frowned when he noticed she only took a small portion. She saw him looking at her plate and the expression on his face told her he was worried about how much she was eating. "I'm fine, Jack. This was how I was when I was in the early months of pregnancy with Erin."

"All right, Sweetheart. You have to forgive me a little. I wasn't around much during the first couple of months when you were pregnant with Erin. By the time I got home, you said the morning sickness was almost gone."

Elizabeth reached over to hold his hand and give him a reassuring squeeze. "I know, Jack and I love you for being concerned about me and the baby. We will be fine, I promise."

Jack smiled at her. "I will always be concerned about you and our children. It's part of my job as husband and father." He picked up her hand and brought it to his lips. "We should eat now. I can't wait to snuggle with you after to dinner."

"Me either." She replied.

They ate their dinner in relative silence, occasionally talking about how things went on his assignment, how she was feeling and how things were going around Hope Valley. When they finished dinner, Jack offered to wash the dishes and Elizabeth took him up on his offer. She then went to the bedroom to change into the new negligee she just received in the mail this week. It was dark blue in color with lace on the neckline and at the hem. She brushed out her long, curly hair and put some perfume on behind her ears and on her wrists. She gave one last look at herself in the mirror, pleased with what she saw and then walked out of their room just as Jack was walking towards her.

Jack stopped when he saw his beautiful wife. She was breathtaking in her blue robe that he was certain was made of silk. He closed the gap between them and pulled her into his arms, giving her a big kiss, a kiss that showed her just how much he had missed her while he was gone. Without breaking the kiss, he gently picked her up in his arms and walked to their bedroom. He set her down on her feet, then slipped the robe of her body. He gasped when he saw what was underneath. The color of her negligee brought out the blue in her eyes. "Elizabeth!" He said a voice rough with passion. "You look absolutely gorgeous." He began kissing her again while Elizabeth pulled his shirt out from his trousers and unbuttoned it, slipping it off his body. She then unbuckled his belt and slid his pants of his body. He slowly slipped the straps of her gown of each shoulder, planting kisses as he went. When he let it fall to the floor, he swept her up in his arms and carried her to their bed. Their passion increased as they kissed and caressed each other until they became one. Afterwards, Elizabeth fell asleep in Jack's arms. They stayed awake long after she did, just watching her sleep and thinking how lucky he was to have a wonderful wife, daughter and soon they would welcome a new baby to their little family. He drifted off to sleep, dreaming about a little boy playing with his Mountie hat, just like he did with his father's hat when he was a little boy.

Elizabeth woke first the next morning, with Jack's arm firmly around her middle. She felt a little nauseous and wanted to get out of bed to make herself some mint tea and toast. She tried to remove Jack's arm but every time she did, he would pull her closer to him, not letting her go. She finally decided she had to wake him up. "Jack! Wake up!" He let out a little groan but his eyes remained closed. Elizabeth, starting to feel worse, turned her head slightly and said his name loudly but he still didn't wake up. Elizabeth tried to move herself over to face him but he continued to hold her in place. Elizabeth then started to panic as she felt more and more like she needed to throw up. "Jack!" She screamed. "Let go of me now!"

Her screams woke him up and he loosened his grip on her. "Elizabeth, what's wrong?" he asked as Elizabeth jumped out and ran to the bathroom. He quickly followed her and entered the bathroom in time to see her kneel at the toilet and throw up. He bent done next to her and pulled her hair away from her face. She sat down on the cold floor when she was finished. Jack gave her a quick kiss on her head the stood to go get a cloth. He wetted it down with cold water and returned to Elizabeth. He carefully picked her up so he didn't make her sick again and wiped down her face. Feeling cold, she leaned into his body, hoping she would stop shivering. It didn't work. Jack, noticing her shaking, picked her up just as carefully as before, and carried her back to bed. He sat down next to her and held one of her hands. "Is there anything I can do for you, Sweetheart? Anything to make you feel better?"

"Yes there is. Would you make me some mint tea and dry toast? That's what usually calms down the morning sickness."

He stood up and leaned down to kiss her. "You got it, Sweetheart. You just stay here and rest." She nodded and then he walked out of the room, pausing for just a moment to look back at her. She had closed her eyes and her face was pale but she looked so beautiful. He then walked down to the kitchen and started boiling water. He located the mint tea she requested, sliced some bread for her toast and got a tray ready to bring down to her. He ran outside and picked some of the wild flowers that grew in their yard and put them in a vase. By then the water was boiled and the toast was ready. He returned to their bedroom. "Sweetheart? I have your tea and toast."

Elizabeth opened her eyes and grinned when she saw the flowers on the tray. "Oh, Jack. Thank you for the flowers." She slowly sat up in bed, making sure she didn't get dizzy. Jack placed the tray on the floor and helped her get settled against the headboard. He then put the tray on the bed and watched as she picked up a piece of toast and began eating. She was grateful that her stomach had seemed to settle down some as she finished the first piece of toast. "Thank you again, Jack for getting the tea and toast for me. I am feeling much better now."

Jack inwardly breathed a sigh of relief. He didn't want to admit to her that he was worried. He had missed all this last time and he really didn't know what to expect. "Happy to help, Ma'am!" He replied as he pretended to tip a hat at her. She giggled, which is what he was hoping she would do. She finished her toast and the moved her tea cup to her nightstand so Jack could take the tray back to the kitchen. When he returned, he got back in bed with her and pulled her closer to him. They stay that way for quite a while until they heard a knock at the door.

Elizabeth sat up. "That must be your mom, bring Erin home." She said as she got out of bed and put on her warmer robe.

Jack jumped out of bed, excited to go see his daughter. They walked out to answer the door together. "Hi, Ma!" Jack said as he opened the door. He reached over to take Erin out of his mother's arms. "Hello, My Sweet Angel! I missed you so much! Did you miss me?"

Erin looked up at her daddy and gave him one of her beautiful smiles, the ones that look like his. "Dada! Love you!" She reached up and touched his face. Jack held her close and kissed the top of her head. He then walked to the living room to sit down with her in his lap.

Elizabeth and Charlotte watched the scene of father and daughter. "It's amazing the love my son feels for his baby girl." Charlotte said to Elizabeth.

"It is. He has been in love with her since the day she was born."

"Did Jack like the present you got him?" Charlotte asked with a big grin on her face. She had thought the idea was so clever when Elizabeth had mentioned it to her. She would have loved to have told her Tom she was pregnant that way too.

"He cried when he saw it, happy tears."

Charlotte laughed. "I figured he would." She gave Elizabeth a hug. "I am going to get going. You don't need me around while you and Jack celebrate his homecoming."

"Thanks again for taking Erin last night."

"Of course! You know I love having her. Anytime you and Jack want some alone time, just ask." She walked into the living room to see her son. "Jack, I am going to head home now. Enjoy your time with your family." She kissed his forehead.

"Bye, Ma! Thanks for letting Erin stay with you last night." Charlotte nodded then left the happy family alone.

Elizabeth went to join her husband and daughter on the sofa. She ran her finger down Erin's face and her daughter looked up at her and smiled. "Mama!"

"I missed you, Angel!" Elizabeth leaned down and kissed her. Then Elizabeth kissed Jack. "I love you and our little family." She kept one hand on Erin's cheek and put her other hand on her abdomen.

Jack placed his hand on top of hers. "I love you, Erin and Baby Thornton so much. I am so blessed."

"We are so blessed." She corrected. "Jack, I think we are having a boy this time."

Jack laughed. "I think we are too because last night I had a dream. I was teaching a little boy how to fish and then I watched him play with my Mountie hat, just like I did with my father's hat when I was a boy."

Elizabeth smiled. "You were had a dream we were having a girl when I was pregnant before and you were right. We must be having a boy, but even if this baby is another girl, I will love her just the same."

"So will I." Jack leaned down carefully to kiss his wife, then noticed that Erin had fallen asleep. "Sweetheart, how are you feeling now?"

"Much better, so much so that I am feel like having breakfast."

"Why don't you put Erin in her crib and I will make us some breakfast."

"Sounds like a plan. Just don't make eggs. I can't stand the smell of eggs cooking while I am pregnant."

"Good to know, even though I was planning on making eggs. I was thinking pancakes."

"Yummy! I would love some pancakes." She took Erin from Jack and walked out of the room. Jack got up and went to the kitchen, thinking about how happy he was about everything in his life. Elizabeth was correct. They were both blessed.


End file.
